Oil-converting apparatus for the conversion and transformation of oils



I. H. ADAMS.

OIL CONVERTING APPARATUS FOR THE CONVERSION AND TRANSFORMATION OF OILS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZ5, I9I8.

Patented Sept. 5, 1922.

twaultum IIVI E/V TOR |IIIIIIII I' I III II 'I'II' I W/TNESS 5:

Patented Sept. 5, 1922,

JOSEPH H. ADAMS, 0F FLATBUSH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO TEXAS COMYANY OFHOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

OIL-CONVERTING APPARATUS r03 THE CONVERSION AND TRANSFORMATION or OILS,4

Application filed June 25,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH H. ADAMS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Flatbush, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Oil-Converting Apparatus for the Conversionand Transformation of Oils, and of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the art of converting, fluids such as oilsinto products of dissimilar character, such as for example, theconversion of heavier petroleum oils into gasoline, and has specialreference to apparatus for use in this art.

The apparatus illustrated and described herein is particularly adaptedfor use in carrying out my oil converting process for the conversion andtransformation of oils set-forth and claimed in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 241,836 filed of even date herewith.

One object of this invention is to provide a relatively simple andinexpensive means of applying super-heated steam under easy control toheated and vaporized oil in mist like or vaporous form for the purposeof alteringthe physical and chemical characteristics of such oil to apredetermined extent.

Another object within the contemplation of this invention is to devisean apparatus which will facilitate the conversion of heavy and highboiling oils such as kerosene, gas oil and other non-viscous and neutral,oils as well as those of the coal targroup into lighter oils and oilyspirits such as gasolines, ,naphthas, benzol and toluol; and which Wllldo so under conditions of continuous operation, to eliminate undesirableinterruptions and other features common in many types of so-called oilconversion apparatus.

This invention. seeks to provide an apparatus well adapted for crackingand transforming hydro-carbon and other oils according to my processheretofore referred to. which. from an operative standpoint in practicalusage, possesses a high degree of efficiency and durability and whichwill be simple and inexpensive in mechanical construction.

The apparatus is so designed that the flow of ing ing oil and steam andthe discharge 1918. Serial No. 241,837.

of distillates and generated gases may be continuous, and as theapparatus is arranged for suchoperation the lighter vapors will beautomatically separated from the heavier matter and the precipitation ofthe latter is I that two or more of such converters may be employed in abattery, the vapor and gas outlets from which may lead to the samecondenser or to a series of condensers.

The oil supply tank from which the oil is supplied to the apparatus forthe conversion process is designated A, and the oil passing from thistank A, through pipe 5,is forced by pump 40, through pipe 6 andprecision feed valves 7, into heater B, where it is heated to or aboveits boiling point and preferably to a temperature above 600? F., withinthe coils 8 of this heater. This hot oil is then admitted through pipe9, to the spray nozzle 10, located at one end of the mixing chamber 11.

Oil is admitted to the tank A, throughpipe 1, controlled by valve 2, anddisplaced air may escape through pipe 3 controlled by valve 4, when thetank is filled at first, but subsequently, and during the operation ofthe apparatus oil may be forced in through pipe 1, at greater pressurethan that maintained by compressed air over the surface of containedoil; such compressed air being furnished from an outside source throughpipe 3 controlled by valve 4, but in such arrangement the pump 40, pipe41 and valve 42 are omitted.

A gauge or set of glass gauges 12, may be arranged on tank A, toindicate the heightof oil therein for when the apparatus is in operationthe tank should be well filled with oil and kept full'vin order tomaintain a generous supply of the raw material undergoingtransformation.

. For the greater accuracy in delivering oil into the system under a;uniform pressure, the suction and force pump 40, is provided andinterposed in the supply line 56, and which pump draws the oil from tankA, forces it against a back pressure into the converter ()-DE, throughthe precision valves 7, heating coils 8,, pipe 9 and nozzle 10. v

- As it is not possible to so perfectly regulate the speed of a pump asto accurately deliver a given amount of oil into the converter at alltimes and at a givenpressure, a pipe 41 and an enclosed release orpopvalve 42, are provided to return any excess oil to tank A, so that inthis operation only the desired amount of oil ma pass into the converteras regulatedby t e precision valves 7:

In this manner, oil to be delivered into the system against a backpressure of say 75 pounds to the square inch will be forced by the pump40, against the release valve 42, set at 100 pounds pressure, and insuch regulation the oil will be delivered into the system under a headpressure of 25 pounds to the square inch above the 75 pounds maintainedpressure, or sufi'icient to become properly atomized by the admixture ofsuper-heated steam.

The oil preheater B, may be of any suitable form such as a feed waterheater, a small boiler or thelike whereby the oil may be heated bysuitable means in order to raise it in temperature, preferably above 600F., within the coils 8, or suflicient to become easilyv vaporized,cracked and transformed when *brought into contact with high temperaturesuper-heated steam through the nozzle 10, and within the mixing chamber11 of the converter C-DE.

Steam which may be generated in a boiler J, outside this convertingapparatus and system is supplied through pipe 14 controlled by valve 15,to a trap 16 where any heavy steam is caught; then the dry steam assesthrough pipe 17 into the superheating coils 18, of the heater B, israised in temperature above 800 to 1000 l and then flows through pipe 19being mingled with and atomizing the heated oil as both oil and steampass through nozzle 10. The oil molecules are thus broken up andtransformed from the high boiling oil into lower boiling products withinthe mixing chamber 11 and expander D.

In this form of heater, gas, fuel oil or other means may be employed byarranging a'burner at the lower part of the enclosure containing theheater tubes, as shown, and providing a flue or vent leading to a stack46, the flow of hot gases within which can be controlled by a finedamper, as indicated in the drawing just above the top of thesuper-heater.

The steam generated in boiler J, musthave a sufiiciently high ressure tobe forced into the converter -D'E,- in association with the oil admittedat 25 pounds head above the maintained back pressure.

and consequently the steam shouldhave an equalpressure or 100 pounds tothe square inch, and which pressure can be a recorded on the gauge 13,located at the top of the dry steam dome on the boiler J, while the oilpressure is recorded on the gauge 13, which gau 'e may be locatedsomewhere along the plpe 41, leading surplus oil to supply tank A.

Both the oil and steam may be controlled in its flow through nozzle 10,by"

valves 9 and 19, for the better regulation and proportionate admissionof steam and oil into the chamber 11 and expander C.

Located within the expander C, and opposite the mixing chamber 11, acurved plate 20, of metal such as hardened steel, nickle hard alloys orother substances capable of withstanding high tempera tures, is madefast at an angle so as to defleet the incoming spray or vaporous oil inan upwardly direction towards the perforated disks 21, located in domeE,through which the lighter converted vapors will rise and pass throughpipe 25, into the condenser F. Y

Arranged between the expander C and dome E, and connecting both of theseparts,

a tubular heater or cracking tube 22 is enclosed within a furnace D.This heater is preferably of tubular construction and can be made up ofone or more tubes extending vertically through the furnace, thesamelining for confining the heat, and any suitable means may heprovided for causing the heat in this chamber. such as burners suppliedby fuel and air pipes 23 and 24. to consume gas or fuel oil or theheating can be done by any other economical means of heat generation,the exhaust from which is carried through flue 47 to stack 46.

For economy and high efficiency, I prefer making the super-heating coilsin tubular form so that there will be a large heating when' admitted tothe mixing chamber 11 and expander C, and is not intended to perform.any cracking operation beyond that which might naturally take place inthe more or less rapid passage of oil through the tubes while beingsubjected to'high temperatures and pressures preparatory to theirentering the nozzle 10, and becoming mixed with the super-heated steamto immediately vaporize'and expand them for the vapor con versionprocess.

The construction of the heater B, is such that oil and oily vapors,afterbeing subjected to the high temperature in the coils 8, pass outthrough the nozzle 10, and into the chamber 11, and then intov theexpandin receptacle C, where the lighter converte vapors rise and flowthrough chamber orcracking tube 22 to the dome E and the perforatedbafiie plates 21, and then pass out from the top of dome E through thepipe 25 to the coils 26,0f the condensenF It will be noticed that thecondenser F, is in free communication'with the expander, heating tubeand dome CDE, and that any pressure maintained in the apparatus CD-E,will extend through the condenser F, as well.

The heavier unconverted vapors coming in contact with the perforatedbaflie plates 21, and being thrown down will be affected by the hightemperature of the cracking tube 22, and a large partv'of such vapor maybe broken up under the influence of this heat and the maintainedpressure into finer vapors to again pass into the dome E and through theperforated plates 21, on their way to the condenser F.

In order to prevent any quantity of unconverted vapors that may havepassed-the bafiie plates 21, entering the condenser F, a trap 48 isinterposed in the vapor line 25, and a pipe 49 leads any heavy parts ofoil from this trap to the discharge or overflow pipe 36 and into tank H,from which the oil may be withdrawn and passed through the converteragain for re-treatment.

From the condenser, the distillates of con- (lensation pass freely intoa trap tank G, through pipe 27, and from which they may be withdrawnthrough pipe 28 controlled by valve 29, while the fixed gases generatedduring the operation of the rocess in this apparatus may esca e througpipe 30 con-- trolled by needle va ve 31.

The vapor pressure in the system may be recorded on gauge 32, located atthe top of trap tank G and on gauge 33 located on the tank H. By meansof the needle valve 31 arid the withdrawal of both li uid and ases fromtank G, a constant pre etermined vapor pressure may be maintained withinthe system from the source of supply through to the foot of and beyondthe condenser F.

Since some of the unconverted heavier vapors may fall to the bottom ofthe apparatus C-D-E, they will pass into the heavy bottoms chamber 34,located below the expander C, and in their passage they will carry anyparticles of coke or carbon,

which may result from the transformation process as carried on in-thisapparatus, and

which may fall or precipitate to the lower part of the chamber C.

Such carbon or foreign solid matter which may be caught in this chamber34:, canbe removed from time to time as occasion requires through thebottom of the chamber 34 by suspending operation, withdrawing oil fromthe converter, removing the cap plate 35 and clearing out the chamber;then replacing the cap and proceeding with theoperation of theapparatus, the lighter part of the sediment may occasionally bewithdrawn through pipe and valve 50, located near the lower end of thetrap,

Any accumulation of hot oil in this chamber 34 will overflow throughpipe 36 into the tank H,from which it can be removed aslrequired throughpipe 37 controlled by a va ve.

Both the distillate tank G and hot oil overflow tank H, are providedwith glass sight gauges 38 and 39, so that the operator may be informedas to when it is necessary to withdraw oil to inake room for that whichwill be constantly flowing into these tanks.

The continual feeding of new quantities of hot oil to be broken intospray or vapors on admission to the mixing chamber 11 and expander C,together with the super-heated steam and the tendency of thesuper-heated oil to greatly expand when released, will build up or raisethe vapor pressures in the converter and consequently throughout thecondenser, so that the vapors undergoing the cracking operation will atall times be under super-atmospheric pressures while being subjected tothe cracking heats of the steam and possibly also the external heatmaintained at cracking temperatures in the cracking tube 22, providedfor this purpose, and

consequently the expander, heater and dome must, necessarily beconstructed of material sufliciently strong and enduring to withstandthe required pressures and temperatures for protracted periods oftime. I

While the pressure gauges 32 and 33. register the vapor pressures inthis form of apparatus, the gauge 13' in the oil line 41, shouldregister a higher pressure by 10 to 25 pounds to the square inch so thatthe inflowing oil to the system will be fed at 10 to 25 pounds headpressure over the back or vapor pressure maintained in the system,otherwise the atomizing effect of the oil with super-heated steam wouldbe .lost and the efliciency of the process as carried on in this aparatus would be rendered ineffective.

s the overflow hot oil may accumulate rapidly in the'operation of abattery of converters the pump 43 is connected with the tank H, and theoil may be' intermittently or continuously Withdrawn through pipe 37 andreturned to the supply tank A, through pipe 44.

s a means of safety in this high temperature and pressure apparatus arelease blow off or pop valve 45, is preferably located at a distanceaway from the converter, usually at the end of the vapor line 25, andjust above the condenser E, as indicated in the drawing.

This valve may be set for anumber of pounds above the actual workingpressure maintained in the system so that should any unusual pressureoccur a means of releasing it, other than the bursting of some workingpart, will be interposed in the piping of the system.

This apparatus is, of course, not limited to the particular arrangementof parts shown in the drawing as the co-related parts may be combined invarious Ways to obtain the same process results but I believe thefundamental apparatus as set forth to be broadly new and it is myintention to cover the apparatus in its broadest aspect by the langua eemployed in the following claims.

H aving described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. An oil converting apparatus comprising an expansion chamber havingspaced chambers with a communicating passage, means for imparting heatto the communicating passage, a nozzle adapted to discharge into one ofthe chambers, an oil heating coil and a steamsuperheating coil connectedto the nozzle, means for heating the coils so that the oil is vaporizedand largely cracked by the direct action of the superheated steam as itis discharged from the nozzle into one of said chambers, a condenser inopen communication with the expansion chamber and means for maintainingsuper-atmospheric pressure through the expansion chamber and condenser.

2. An oil converting apparatus comprising an expansion chamber havingspaced chambers with a communicating passage, means for imparting heatto the communicating passage, a nozzle adapted to discharge into one ofthe chambers, an oil heating coil and a steam superheating coilconnected to the nozzle, means for heating the coils so that the oil isvaporized and cracked 'as it is discharged from the nozzle with thesuperv heated steam, a condenser in open communication with theexpansion chamber, a collector connected to the condenser, a back trapconnected between the condenser and the expansion chamber and means forreturning the liquid from the back trap to the oil heating coil.

3. An oil converting apparatus comprising-an expansion chamber havingspaced chambers with a communicating passage,

means for imparting heat to the communicating passage, a nozzle adaptedto discharge into one of the chambers, an oil heating coil and a steamsuperheating coil'connected to the nozzle, means for heating the coilsso that the oil is vaporized and largely cracked by the direct action ofthe superheated steam as it is discharged from the nozzle into one ofsaid chambers, a condenser inopen communication with the expansionchamber, a

collector in open communication with the condenser, and means formaintaining superatmospheric pressure through the expansion chamber, thecondenser and the collector.

4. An oil conversion apparatus comprising an expansion chamber, havingspaced upper and lower chambers and an interposed communicating passage,means for spraying into the lower chamber a mixture of hot oil and steamsuperheated to sufficient tempera ture to largely crack the oil by itsdirect action as it is commingled therewith, in said lower chamber,means for imparting a cracking'heat to said communicating passage toaugment the cracking process asthe vapors hot oil and steam superheatedto sufficiently u high temperature to crack the oil by its di rectaction as it is mixed therewith in said expansion chamber.

6. 'An oil conversion apparatus comprising an expansion chamber, meansfor spraying into said chamber a mixture of hot oil and steamsuperheated to a suflicient temperature to produce cracking by itsdirect action as it is commingled therewith in said chamber, means forcollecting the heavy residue below the cracking zone of said chamber,means for withdrawing'the evolved vapors and condensing them and meansfor back trapping the unconverted vapors and the heavy residue andreturning them to said spraying means.

7. An oil conversion apparatus comprising a vertically arrangedelongated expansion chamber, an atomizer for laterally spray-ing intothe lower part of said chamber a mixture of hot oil and steamsuperheated to a sufficient temperature to produce cracking by itsdirect action as it is commingled therewith in said chamber, a receiverdisposed below said chamber and outside the cracking zone for collectingthe heavy residue, means for withdrawing the residue from said receiver,and means connected to the top of said chamber above the cracking zonefor removlng the evolved vapors.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa ture.

JOSEPH H. ADAMS. Witnesses:

A. CAPs'rIoK,

J OEL S. DE SELDING.

